Page 130 of The Divine Lies We Weave

“This isn’t funny,” Rajesh snapped.

Navya’s lips dipped. Her jaw ticked as she held his gaze. Eventually, the desire in her emerald eyes dissipated.

She stepped away.

“Oh…” Navya lowered her gaze and wrapped an arm around herself. “You really don’t want to, do you?”

“No.” The answer was a slap, and Rajesh could almost see the invisible print on her face as she flinched.

He should care more about hurting her feelings. But he was also too drunk, and his mouth was still throbbing like a strung harp. The last thing on his mind, among all the other chaos and aches and pains in his life, was fucking someone. Especially Navya.

Navya bit her lip.

Guilt racked his brain and Rajesh sighed, his conscience winning. “You are a beautiful woman, Navya. But not now. Not ever.”

Navya tore her eyes from the ground and met his. “Leela is lucky to have you.”

Rajesh’s mouth grew dry. “This isn’t⁠—”

“You don’t have to tell me.” A light haze covered her emerald eyes. “Just know I envy it. You have found someone in this life who would fight this world for you, and you, her.”

Rajesh now felt like the biggest asshat. He knew he really shouldn’t, but Navya was his crew and a part of his family. Hurting her in any capacity hurt him too, deep down.

Before Rajesh could say anything, Navya wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in.

Rajesh stiffened, unsure what was happening.

When Navya pulled back, she rubbed the nape of his neck and played with a loose curl. Her gaze held his, and unspoken words swirled within. “You really are a great captain, Rajesh. Don’t ever let that change you.”

Rajesh’s gaze drifted down to her lips for the briefest of moments before he snapped them back to hers. “You are a beautiful woman, but⁠—”

“BITCH!”

A scream made them jolt apart. Rajesh fell back into the chair, legs flying in the air, as something silver flickered by. It took a moment for him to blink past the specks of white and realize who had interrupted them.

Leela stood at the door, hand raised as if she had thrown something.

Rajesh traced the direction of her arm and found Navya on the ground, a katar wedged between her eyebrows.

The air grew cold despite the fire.

The overwhelming need to vomit came with the amount of blood spilling onto his carpet and drenching his feet. One moment, Navya had been standing, talking to him as if confessing everything.

Now she was dead.

Rajesh snapped his gaze back to Leela, face pale and fingers shaking. “Wh—what… did… you… do?”

It wasn’t until he turned back that he realized the golden glow of Leela’s eyes, and realization tore at his heart.

The familiar warmth shocked his spine, and he failed to push the pain down. He didn’t need the anger and heartache to show right now. He didn’t need to birth any more monsters. Not when he was staring right at one.

Move!

Rajesh snapped out of his frozen state and ducked, just as a katar flew at him next.

He fell into Navya’s blood. Navya’s head was tilted to the side, the blade in her skull. She was still wide-eyed, lips parted. He quickly shut her eyes and shuffled off around the couch.

Another thunk struck inches from his head.